Institute for Tax Advisors and Accountants

What Institute for Tax Advisors and Accountants does

ITAA (Institute for Tax Advisors and Accountants / Institut des Conseillers fiscaux et des Experts-comptables / Instituut van de Belastingadviseurs en de Accountants) is the Belgian statutory regulatory body governing the professions of certified accountant and tax advisor, operating from Brussels. It was created by the Law of 17 March 2019 and formally constituted on 30 September 2020 via the merger of the IPCF and IEC. ITAA maintains the official public register, administers entry and qualifying examinations (now offered remotely via Zoom and in-person), oversees a three-year traineeship, enforces professional ethics, and discharges anti-money laundering supervisory duties under the Law of 18 September 2017, including reporting to CTIF and a whistleblowing protocol with the Federal Ombudsman signed 5 December 2023.

The institute runs a digital stack comprising the ITAA member portal, a digital examination system, the public register search (search.itaa.be), and member-facing tools including App4Acc (a software showcase platform), eStox (a digital securities register that has surpassed 100,000 entries), Bill to Box (an invoicing platform), and BeExcellent (manuals and process management). Member services include continuous professional development (permanente vorming), seminars, a servicedesk on Freshdesk, and a SOS ITAA support mechanism for force majeure. An ambassador programme targets students and young professionals. The institute operates only in Belgium, with no foreign footprint.

ITAA is governed by an elected Council; Bart Van Coile was re-elected President in April 2023, with a new president and Council elected in April 2026, and operational leadership held by Director General Liesbet Dhaene since July 2022. The institute employs 11-50 staff and serves a Belgian membership base that includes approximately 2,669 trainees. Funding comes from membership-related fees and charges associated with examination, registration, training, and a collective professional indemnity insurance scheme; revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Institute for Tax Advisors and Accountants

Legal name

Institute for Tax Advisors and Accountants

Website

https://itaa.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ITAA is the Belgian statutory regulatory body governing certified accountants and tax advisors, created by the Law of 17 March 2019 via merger of IPCF and IEC. Based in Brussels, it maintains the public register, administers qualifying examinations, oversees traineeships, and serves individual professionals and SMEs across Belgium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Regulation Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Occupational Licensing Examination Authorities (EDADAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Test Administration, Proctoring & Security Authorities (EDADAFAH), Assessment & Examination Integrity Audits (EDADAGAE)

Keywords

• Professional certification services
• Tax advisory regulation
• Accounting registration
• Public register services
• Continuous professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ITAA is the statutory regulatory body for accountants and tax advisors in Belgium, certifying professionals through entrance and qualifying examinations, administering a three-year traineeship programme, and maintaining the official public register of certified members. It enforces professional ethics, anti-money laundering compliance, and continuing education requirements, while providing members with digital tools such as App4Acc, eStox, BeExcellent, and the ITAA Portal.

Product overview

ITAA (Institute for Tax Advisors and Accountants) is a Belgian professional regulatory institute for accountants and tax advisors. The organization operates primarily as a membership and certification body rather than a technology product company. Its digital offerings include App4Acc (a software directory), eStox (digital securities register), Bill to box (invoicing platform), and BeExcellent (documentation management platform), all accessible through the ITAA Portal. Core services encompass member certification, traineeship management, professional training/continuing education, public register maintenance, anti-money laundering compliance, and professional ethics oversight.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• App4Acc: Digital showcase for software intended for accountants and tax advisors
• eStox
• Bill to Box
• BeExcellent
• ITAA ACcTUA

Products and services

• Public Register of Certified Professionals Publicly searchable register of certified accountants and tax advisors in Belgium, filterable by language, title, and entity status (natural persons vs. legal entities), enabling clients to verify credentials and locate registered professionals.
• ITAA Member Portal Online portal for ITAA members providing access to registration, traineeship agreement submission, exemption requests, exam booking, and member administration. Available only to holders of a Belgian national number.
• App4Acc Digital showcase platform for software intended for accountants and tax advisors, enabling members to discover and explore professional software solutions through a curated storefront.
• eStox Digital Securities Register Secure digital securities register provided by notaries, accountants, and tax advisors for managing electronic share records, surpassing 100,000 registered entries.
• BeExcellent Platform for recording, managing, and publishing manuals, processes, and other relevant information within accounting and tax advisory practices.
• Bill to Box (Unified by Invoicing) Platform for optimizing, simplifying, and collaborating on invoicing and document management workflows, provided to ITAA members and entrepreneurs.
• ITAA Certification Examinations Admission and qualifying examinations for candidates seeking certified accountant or tax advisor status in Belgium, offered as digital remote exams monitored via Zoom or in-person at the ITAA office.
• Continuous Professional Development (Permanente Vorming) Structured continuous education programme and seminar calendar for ITAA members and trainees, covering recognized training operators, one-off activity recognitions, and registered trainers to satisfy annual CPD requirements.
• ITAA Traineeship Programme Three-year supervised traineeship (stagetraject) programme including access dossier, admission exam, internship tracking, interim assessments, and qualifying exam, required for entry to the public register.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Fiscales (ESSF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2023ITAA signed a partnership with ESSF (Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Fiscales). The partnership was announced on 6 February 2023 through ITAA's press release channel. Details on the scope of cooperation are available in the press release.
• CTIF (Cellule de traitement des informations financières)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs part of its anti-money laundering obligations, ITAA members must report suspicious transactions to CTIF (the Belgian Financial Intelligence Processing Unit). ITAA coordinates with CTIF in its role as external reporting authority under Article 90 of the Anti-Money Laundering Law of 18 September 2017. Whistleblowing reports of anti-money laundering violations by members are channelled to CTIF where required.
• Federal Ombudsman (Médiateur Fédéral)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Protocol Agreement was signed on 5 December 2023 between ITAA and the Federal Ombudsman, establishing practical modalities for collaboration and information exchange in the context of external whistleblowing reports (Law of 28 November 2022). ITAA specifically ensured professional secrecy is respected within this collaboration framework.
• BIBF (Beroepsinstituut van Boekhouders en Fiscaal Adviseurs)minorOthersPrior to the establishment of ITAA, the BIBF was a predecessor institute for accountants and tax advisors. On 30 September 2020, BIBF members transferred to ITAA under a special 'passerelle' (gateway) arrangement. ITAA manages transitional pathways for former BIBF members.
• IAB / IEC (Instituut van de Accountants / Institut des Experts-Comptables)minorOthersThe IAB (Flemish) and IEC (Francophone) were predecessor institutes for accountants and tax advisors. On 30 September 2020, members of both institutes transferred to ITAA as part of the merger creating the unified professional institute. ITAA manages transitional pathways and title equivalences for former IAB and IEC members.

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Nederlandse Beroepsorganisatie van Accountants (NBA): Dutch statutory professional organisation for accountants, responsible for the public register, ongoing education, and quality assurance. Direct peer in the Benelux region with very similar statutory mandate.
• Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI): Irish statutory institute overseeing chartered accountants on the island of Ireland, with licensing, examination, and disciplinary functions. Comparable in scale and scope to ITAA.
• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS): UK Royal Charter body regulating Scotland's chartered accountants, providing examinations, registration, and quality review. Comparable statutory professional institute with similar member-fee economics.
• CPA Australia: Australian professional accounting body issuing the CPA designation and providing ongoing professional development. Comparable examination, membership, and licensing business model in another national jurisdiction.
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA): US national membership organisation representing CPAs, with peer review, professional standards, and examination functions. Comparable professional-body model governing a national accountancy profession.
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW): Royal Charter body that licenses, trains, and regulates chartered accountants in the UK. Directly comparable as a national statutory-mandated institute issuing professional titles, running examinations, and maintaining a public register.
• Wirtschaftsprüferkammer (WPK, Germany): German statutory chamber for auditors and sworn auditors, performing licensing, register maintenance, and professional discipline functions under public law. Comparable EU neighbouring-jurisdiction professional regulatory institute.
• Ordre des Experts-Comptables et des Comptables Agréés (OECCA, France): French national regulatory body for chartered accountants, with statutory authority over registration, examinations, and professional discipline. Closest direct peer in scale and statutory function to ITAA within the EU.
• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA): Global professional accountancy body that administers examinations, awards the ACCA qualification, and maintains a global public register. Directly comparable examination-and-licensing business model, with a broader geographic footprint than ITAA.

Regional players

• Institut des Réviseurs d'Entreprises (IRE, Luxembourg): Luxembourg's statutory institute overseeing public auditors, performing registration, training, and disciplinary oversight. Direct functional peer in a close Benelux neighbour jurisdiction; included as REGIONAL_PLAYER due to the small local market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/itaa_bel
• Facebookfacebook.com/ITAAbelgium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/itaabelgium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Tax Advisors and Accountants